Edmund White is one of our most celebrated novelists. He is also a brilliant journalist and cultural commentator on the arts, contributing to publications as varied The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, the New York Times, the Washington Post, House and Garden, and the New York Review of Books. In Sacred Monsters, White collects more than twenty of his most recent writings on artists and authors, including John Cheever, Patti Smith, Henry James, Mary Cassatt, Paul Bowles, Andy Warhol, John Singer Sargent, Vladimir Nabokov, Auguste Rodin, Edith Wharton, Christopher Isherwood, Martin Amis, Allen Ginsberg, Marguerite Duras, John Rechy, Ford Maddox Ford, David Hockney, Reynolds Price, E.M. Forster, James Abbott McNeil Whistler, and Marcel Proust, among others.

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Praise for Edmund White

"Sexy and amazingly knowledgeable. You'll feel like stampeding to a bookstore once Edmund White gets through with you."--John Waters

[The Burning Library] reveals what a fine essayist [White] is. White's descriptions of gay male life of the past 30 years and the changes in attitude that have occurred among gay men toward themselves and their sexuality are clear, forceful, intelligent, and thought-provoking White offers other essays and reviews of the work of contemporary writers, American and European, gay and nongay, such as James Merrill, Christina Stead, Darryl Pinckney, and Marguerite Yourcenar. This material, together with White's discussions of his own fiction, provides valuable insights into the reading and writing of literature.”Library Journal

The doyen of his now middle-aged generation of gay novelists, White writes seductively well. He is facile, amusing, chatty, convivial, accessibly intellectual--in short, he possesses just the qualities that make his cultural journalism, of which this book affords a generous sampling spanning 25 years, delightful ”Booklist

"By marrying biography and criticism [Arts and Letters] achieves a grand social critique.”Andrew Solomon, author of The Noonday Demon, winner of the National Book Award

"Edmund White's 39 reviews, interviews and essays...are a shocking display of friendliness, optimism, openness and tact.”Los Angeles Times Book Review

About the Author

Edmund White is a 2010 National Book Critics Circle finalist for his memoir City Boy. He is also the author of many works, including the autobiographical novel A Boy's Own Story and a popular travel book titled Le Flaneur. He was a recipient of the Lambda Literary Foundation's 2009 Pioneer Award in recognition of his tremendous contributions to LGBT literature. White lives in New York City and chairs the creative writing department at Princeton University.

The previous reviewer provides an accurate description of the pleasures of reading Edmund White. While reading the Edith Wharton piece I was reminded of a decision I made, many years ago: to read Henry James instead, there being only so much time available in a lifetime for reading. It was delightful to be exposed to what I have chosen to miss - but never to have to regret making the choice. That said, I cannot express greater disappointment with the Kindle text which was obviously transcribed by typing monkeys with no sense of quotation marks, differentiating type style, etc., etc. (there are many, many very generous quotes from cited texts). This is the kind of thing that would never be accepted in a printed text. E-books are handy but very frustrating and marketed with complete irresponsibility to the literary values of print.

38 of 40 people found the following review helpful

Edmund White: Writer, Critic, CommentatorJan. 7 2012

By
Grady Harp
- Published on Amazon.com

Format: Hardcover
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Edmund White continues to be on of the more important American writers of the day. He is a superb novelist, an elegant observer, and a well-researched biographer. In SACRED MONSTERS White takes on another role, that of re-examining the works of writers and artists from the past and from the present, unveiling aspects of their famous lives that have been elusive to the public, in part because of his discovery of personal letters of the subjects about whom he writes, and in part because he has the vantage of looking at works in the light of current and developing histories of the departed. All of this he is able to do because of his intense intelligence always seasoned with his keen wit and in depth reveries that his subjects open.

In his Preface, White opens the door to his houseful of guests he is planning to discuss with the following: 'In French the expression "monster sacré" is a familiar on and refers to a venerable or popular celebrity so well known that he or she is above criticism, a legend who despite eccentricities or faults cannot be measured by ordinary standards. A fixture on the cultural horizon.....It might seem paradoxical to write critical essays about personalities who are above or beyond criticism, but I fall into the category of those cultural critics who appreciate more than they evaluate their subjects, who admire more than they judge, who seek to untangle influences received and given and maybe even trace out the shape of a career.' And given that précis White proceeds to explore the lives of both men and women, gay and straight, whose influence on the world of literature especially (with the exception of one delightful passage about Rodin's impact on the young White!) has been compelling.

His style is infectious: he manages to write extensively about William and Henry James on the basis of letters to each other and to others that give us insight into the directions their careers moved; he examines the sense of heritage embarrassment that shaped author John Rechy's life as a Mexican lad denying his Mexican heritage; he gives us more insight into the life of Tennessee Williams' incredible gifts to the stage by exploring his closeted fear of this sexuality and the way he developed that stance. White writes about the following other people: Edith Wharton, John Cheever, Glenway Wescott, David Hockney, Marcel Proust, Ford Maddox Ford, Truman Capote, EM Forster, Christopher Isherwood, Martin Amis, Howard Sturgis, Robert Mapplethorpe, Paul Bowles, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs, Marguerite Duras, James Merrill, Reynolds Price, and Vladimir Nabokov. Each essay is easily wroth adding this book to the library. In addition to discovering fascinating facts about the lives of these great people, we are treated to the style of writing that is slowly disappearing from the literary scene - factual, informed, yet entertaining journalistic writing. Highly recommended. Grady Harp, January 12

I enjoyed reading "Sacred Monsters," a collection of twenty-two essays on various authors and visual artists written by Edmund White and published in various journals since 1980. This compilation of reviews and criticism seems like an extension of White's memoirs, telling stories about his subjects who are "above criticism" as well as about himself. In most cases, the summaries of the authors' novels and stories are perfect distillations of facts and effects, the exact amount of information required to understand or recall a plot or an image and, more importantly, to point out its meaning.

Edmund White is known for writing in a number of genres using his personal life and memories as a springboard. Early on he became famous for the autobiographical novels "A Boy's Own Story" (1982) and "The Beautiful Room is Empty" (1988) and later for the true to life novels "The Farewell Symphony" (1997) and "The Married Man" (2001). More recently White has written a couple of gossipy memoirs, "My Lives" (2005) and "City Boy" (2009), and very recently, another novel, "Jack Holmes and His Friend" (2012).

Like his memoirs and autobiographical novels, these essays are full of scandalous stories, sexual rumors, and stunning personal details, all told with White's proud ability to reveal the most interesting facts about himself and others.

Over the years, White has written numerous articles on the classic authors of the major canon, five of which are included in "Sacred Monsters." While reviewing Hermione Lee's full-scale biography of Edith Wharton, White presents a lively discussion of Wharton's works and draws attention to many surprising gay connections in her life. In a review of the publication of some of the letters of Henry James, White discusses James' views on travel and art, and incorporates notes about the health tips that the James family shared, including personal information about James' bowel problems.

While usually thought of as a gay author and critic, White delivers pure criticism and commentary on a number of straight authors. Writing about Ford Madox Ford, White provides fascinating biographical stories and details of long novels that few have read. His comparisons of Ford to Henry James are interesting but his comparisons with Proust do not seem especially helpful since, as White points out, Ford co-wrote three novels with the very non-Proustian author Joseph Conrad. White offers stimulating comments on Marguerite Duras's switches between writing novels and screenplays, and recalls the conveniently forgotten fact that she was a censor for the Nazis during their Occupation. He offers astute insights on Nabokov's uses of obsession both in his short story, "Spring in Fialta," and in his novels, the masterpiece "Lolita," and his final work, the autobiographical novel "Look At the Harlequins!"

Because of his stature in the gay community, White has met most of the major gay contemporary authors, but he offers enlightening analyses of both his acquaintances and friends, and of the authors he has not met. He notes that John Cheever's "finest achievement" is the novel "Falconer," which includes a homosexual character. He makes much of Tennessee Williams' oppression and resulting self-hatred, yet points out the great art that Williams created, despite living in an era of severe homophobia, by returning to the characters he knew. White depicts an enchanting life of Howard Sturgis in "Portrait of a Sissy," selecting the perfect sparkling details. While discussing Paul Bowles' novel "The Sheltering Sky," his commentary does not contain any literary references but shares a brave recollection of a trip he took to Morocco with a lover dying of AIDS. He describes Glenway Wescott with rich biographical details and personal recollections (including gossip about his penis size and beautiful bottom). When White recalls a meeting with Truman Capote, he presents it in the style of Capote's reporting that summarizes Capote's capricious career. This very dishy essay delivers details about Capote's odd behavior during his decline and culminates in the arrival of Robert Mapplethorpe to photograph White and Capote together. White also gives firsthand commentary on the friendly poet James Merrill (who "saved" White several times via grants from the Merrill Foundation) and the hustler/memorist John Rechy.

In this collection White's criticism of visual artists is also very illuminating. White reviews Allen Ginsberg's photography, rather than his poetry, with great understanding, making him less literary and more artistic. Subsequently, in follow-up essays White reviews David Hockney and Robert Mapplethorpe in a more literary light, finding meanings that other visual critics might miss. White is also especially helpful in pointing out Mapplethorpe's role in the gay rights movement.

I do have a few warnings about the essays. Sometimes White's descriptions contain an overabundance of insider literary references for casual readers; the essays often rely heavily on references to other writers and works. These essays can strain to make a point for readers who don't know Tolstoy or Trollope well. Also this collection is heavily biased toward male authors; White must have reviewed at least a couple more lesbian or female authors that could have been included. White returns to his two favorite authors Henry James and Proust too many times, quoting and comparing, even if the payoff is minor. If you haven't read all of James or if Proust isn't your favorite novelist, it can feel off-putting.

But these are minor quibbles. The essays are generally filled with fascinating gossipy details and remarkable asides. They reflect White's masterful ability to effectively pull ideas out of novels, stories, and art, while simultaneously showcasing a personalized purview of his own life and passions.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

Slow Pacing Toward MonstersJan. 26 2014

By
David Mckinnon
- Published on Amazon.com

Format: Kindle Edition

The "Sacred a Monsters" are artists of our day. Mr White takes on a group of artists and their work in essays that are at once appreciations of their work and insights into who these artists were as men and how their sexuality effected their lives and, most importantly, their work. Edmund White's take on Nabokov, Maplethorpe, Capote, Isherwood and several others enlightens us as to what he knew about them and his opinion of their work. Most of the essays in this book have appeared elsewhere, primarily in the New York Review of a Books.

I admire Mr. White for his accomplishments, but found his musings in this book slow and plodding.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

Highly RecommendedApril 29 2012

By
Clifton Snider
- Published on Amazon.com

Format: Hardcover
Verified Purchase

I give this book 4 stars merely because it isn't as substantial as some of Edmund White's other non-fiction/critical collections, such as "The Burning Library". Indeed, as White says in his preface, three of these reviews/essays (those on Mapplethorpe, Capote, and Nabokov) were published in earlier collections. Always readable and intelligent, even erudite, White is perhaps most interesting in his scattered autobiographical passages. If you're at all interested in the artists White covers here, I highly recommend this book.